Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the Miami Open due to a right shoulder injury, his team confirmed on Wednesday. The 38-year-old Serb suffered the setback during his fourth-round loss to Jack Draper at Indian Wells, where he was defeated 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) in a gruelling two-and-a-half-hour match.
Djokovic, a six-time champion in Miami, reached the final last year but lost to Czech youngster Jakub Mensik. His absence means he will fail to defend the significant ranking points from that run, likely dropping him out of the world's top three. Germany's Alexander Zverev, currently world No 4, is poised to overtake him after reaching the Indian Wells semi-finals.
The former world No 1 has adopted a slimmed-down schedule in recent years, prioritising grand slams and major tournaments. He did not play between losing the Australian Open final to Carlos Alcaraz in January and the start of Indian Wells. His withdrawal from Miami suggests he will next compete at the Monte-Carlo Masters in early April.
